April 26 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the beginning of a new life for all believers. It's also the pledge of our resurrection (1 Cor. 15). The study of Colossians is part of this month's meditations on the meaning of the resurrection.

Bible Reading:

Colossians 3: 12–14

Bible Text:

As God's chosen people, ... clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Col. 3:12).

Devotional:

In the Old Testament Israel is God's chosen people. In the New Testament God's chosen people are all who are in Christ. God has chosen us in Jesus because God loves us.

That's a heartwarming thought. It strengthens our determination to put to death our old, nasty, worldly traits and to cultivate the new life God has given us. For we must put to death impurity, lust, and greed and clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, and patience.

Putting to death the old and putting on the new: These two actions go together. We manage to kill the evil only when we clothe ourselves in God's goodness. When we put on the loving virtues of the new life, putting off the bad habits of the old life is suddenly much easier.

Impurity, lust, and greed are the vices of a hungry heart. They thrive on inner emptiness. These raw appetites show up in people waiting for a peep show or lined up at a bargain counter. But for people of God, who are clothed in compassion, the void is filled with the love of their Lord.

This idea has important implications for interpersonal relationships. Someone once said to me, "I could not forgive my friend until I felt sorry for her." Hatred comes from the wounded self, but compassion flows from the blessedness of God.

Once our inner selves have been filled with God's goodness in Christ, we no longer look at people and things with starved appetites. We have something to give that was first given to us.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.